Knaves, fools and Eric Cantor

Despite the headline on today’s Washington Times story on the Gorelick follies, the story prominently features the defense of her by Republican Senator Orrin Hatch as well: “Democrats rally to Gorelick’s defense.” At the bottom of the story, however, the Times quotes a letter to 9/11 Committee Chairman Thomas Kean by Rep. Eric Cantor of Virginia — one of the finest members of the House, period — to telling effect:

In his letter, Mr. Cantor asked Mr. Kean why so many commissioners are giving interviews “sharing opinions before the investigation has been completed.”
“Unfortunately, the recent tone of the Commission has become that of opportunism and assigning blame,” Mr. Cantor wrote. “The Commission has been asked to be judges of our preparation for and response to the 9/11 attacks, not to be advocates, shills or ideologues for a cause or party.”
“It is my hope that the Commission will not remain hijacked by politics,” he added. “Americans died on September 11, 2001, and more have died since trying to protect America. Ideological demagoguery must not replace the Commission’s duty to do everything possible to examine the complete responses of both Presidents Clinton and Bush to worldwide terrorism.”